Steam the eggplant for 15 min­utes until it’s soft (or microwave it in less time). Put it in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate and coconut oil. The warm eggplant will melt the chocolate and oil.

Add the chopped dates and salt. Using a hand blender or a food processor, blitz the mixture until it’s smooth. By now it should be cool enough to add the eggs and baking powder.

Blitz again for another minute or so, then mix in the ground almonds.

Spread the mixture onto a medium-sized baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. It is cooked when a knife comes out clean.

“Sometimes a traditional pastry crust just doesn’t do justice to a spectacular filling. This is one of those times. This no-need-to-cook food processor pastry is chock full of flavour, and is refrigerated so it can be prepared the day before. So too can the ‘creamy’ cheese filling. Each pear variety has its own personality in texture and flavour. Choose a mild and sweet variety with subtle, fragrant citrus notes – bartlett pear comes to mind.” p.224

Line a 23 cm (9 in) flan (tart) pan with baking paper with overhanging sides to make it easy to lift the flan out. Put the coconut in a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the hazelnuts, dates, finely grated ginger and cinnamon and pulse to a fine-crumb texture. Don’t worry if it is a bit more coarse than fine.

Tip the mixture into a bowl and, using your hands, clump it together and press it evenly into the base and sides of the prepared tin. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, until firm.

Peel the pears, cut into thick wedges and remove the core (leave the stalk on for decoration if you like). Put the sugar, peeled ginger, star anise, lime and soda water in a large pan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat to low and drop in the pears.

Cover the pan and gently simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pears are just tender. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the liquor. Lift the pears out with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Whisk together the ricotta, cream cheese, yoghurt, lime zest and 1½ tablespoons of the honey until smooth and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the flan and arrange the pears on top. Brush the pears with the remaining honey.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor, and whiz until the mixture gets clumpy. Empty into a bowl, and shape into golf-sized balls using your hands. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or the refrigerator (although they’ll be quite firm if kept this way).

For little ones: Try shaping into fingers for easier gripping.

** Very suitable to put in your work lunch box as a snack – they were easy to make and yummy – sorry no pictures they were devoured before the camera came out 🙂

Recipes extracted from Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay and the Bread Street Kitchen Team (Hachette Australia). Available in hardcover nationally at $49.99 and in ebook at $19.99

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Banana Caramel Sauce

“Being in the City of London, our old-fashioned nursery puddings are always popular, the stickier and more comforting, the better. Our sticky toffee pudding is exactly how it should be – soft and squidgy with plenty of banana caramel sauce to pool on top. Serve with clotted cream or crème fraîche and a big smile.” p. 142

Serves 12

For the pudding

325g stoned dates, roughly chopped

275g dark soft brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

90g butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the banana caramel sauce

300g butter, cut into pieces

375g light soft brown sugar

150g dark soft brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar

375ml double cream

2 just ripe bananas, chopped (optional)

Clotted cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Tips

The pudding can be made a day or two ahead. Simply make it as directed, then cool completely before wrapping it well and storing in a cool, dry place. The sauce can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge, then reheated gently to serve. Any pudding or sauce leftovers will freeze well (separately) for up to 1 month. Thaw at a cool room temperature, then gently reheat to serve.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas 5. Grease and line the base of a 30 x 23 x 4cm deep baking tin with baking parchment.

Put the dates into a saucepan with 225ml water. Cook over a low–medium heat until soft and mushy, and the water is almost all absorbed, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a blender or use a stick blender in the pan and blitz to a purée, then leave to cool slightly.

Whisk the brown sugar and eggs together in a large bowl for a minute or so, until a bit paler in colour and light, then whisk in the melted butter to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together in a separate bowl, then stir this into the egg mixture, a third at a time, using a large metal spoon. Stir in the date purée until combined. The mixture will be soft. Pour it into the prepared tin, spreading gently to smooth the surface. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until risen and firm but springy to the touch.

While the pudding is baking, make the banana caramel sauce. Combine all the ingredients, except the bananas, in a large saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted, stirring often. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a fast simmer, then bubble for 1–2 minutes, just to thicken the sauce slightly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a bit.

Pour the sauce into a blender (or use a stick blender in the pan), add the chopped bananas, and blitz together until smooth and combined. Warm through gently before serving.

Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a knife into the centre – it should come out clean. Remove the pudding from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack. Peel off the lining paper, invert the pudding onto a board, then cut into 12 squares to serve. Alternatively, cool the pudding slightly in the tin, then cut into squares and remove the portions, leaving the lining paper behind.

Pour some of the sauce over each portion (don’t be shy), then drizzle extra on the plates. Serve with a dollop of clotted cream or crème fraîche.

I am having a bit of a baking evening – tonight I made Anna Gare’s gluten free, sugar free, dairy free Banana, Almond and Date Loaf p. 183 . My sister is visiting tomorrow so preparing a few home made treats. This is the second time I have made this loaf – it is so yummy,healthy and easy to make – mix in the food processor. Coconut oil, shredded coconut, dates, bananas, nuts and almond meal, superb! And it even looks as good as the loaf in the book.

“One of the pricier recipes in the book as it’s very nut-heavy, but trust me, it is such a treat. The three layers melt together perfectly like little bites of paradise, with the ideal mix of biscuit, caramel and chocolate, just like a super-healthy, even-more-delicious version of millionaire’s shortbread.” (p.228)

Makes about 16

For the base

150g almonds

125g pecans

400g medjool dates, pitted

2 tablespoons almond butter

For the caramel layer

400g medjool dates, pitted

6 heaped tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon coconut oil

For the chocolate layer

100g cacao butter

1 tablespoon almond butter

150g medjool dates, pitted

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

2–4 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

Start by making the base: simply put the almonds and pecans in a food processor and blend for about 1 minute until a grainy flour forms, then add the dates and almond butter and blend again until the mix becomes nice and sticky. Transfer the mix to the bottom of a baking tin lined with baking parchment (mine is 31 x 21 x 6cm), pushing it down firmly with a spatula. Place the tray in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Next make the caramel layer. To do this simply put all the ingredients into the food processor with 120ml of water and blend until smooth and creamy, then pour on to the base layer and put the tray back into the freezer for 30–40 minutes, so it becomes firm enough to pour on the chocolate layer.

Finally make the chocolate layer. Place the cacao butter in a saucepan and melt on a low heat with the almond butter. Once they’ve melted, pour into the food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

After the caramel has become solid, spread the chocolate layer on top, then place the tray back into the freezer and freeze for about 2 hours.

Store the whole sheet in the freezer. Take them out and leave at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, to let them warm up a little, then cut them into 16 slices to serve.